‘I would definitely recommend the Trinity residential’

After Farzana Haque attended a Trinity residential she was determined to apply to Cambridge. ‘I’m absolutely over the moon to be going to Trinity College in October! It just feels so surreal!’ she said.

I would definitely recommend the Trinity residential not only because it gives you the chance to explore your subject at university level but also because it really gives you that additional confidence to just go for it.

Farzana, who did her A-levels at the London Academy of Excellence in Stratford, London, will study Theology at Cambridge.

Trinity’s two Schools Liaison Officers run a varied outreach programme, including visits to schools and three-day residentials at the College, which are aimed in particular at students under-represented at Cambridge.

Kai Melhuish who will study History at Trinity also attended a residential. He is the first student at Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex, to study at Cambridge. ‘The residential experience was invaluable in giving me a real insight into the student experience, and allowed me to have a true taste of what student life at Cambridge looks like.’

To be afforded the opportunity to read history at a University – and College – as prestigious as Cambridge is honestly a dream come true. I cannot wait to begin my academic and intellectual journey and am so happy that all my hard work has paid off.

Catherine Allen, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, decided to apply for Law at Cambridge only after attending the Trinity Law Residential.

The outreach scheme gave an insight into the reality of a Cambridge student lifestyle and no longer made it seem like an unachievable dream. Meeting current students helped a lot with this and the Supervision sessions were really enjoyable.

Catherine said she was particularly inspired by Fellows in Law at Trinity. ‘Obviously Trinity has beautiful grounds and a great reputation but talking to the Fellows on the summer school and seeing their enthusiasm and passion for the subject was what sold the College to me,’ she said.

Samuel Walker will study Engineering at Trinity. He attended Bourne Community College, followed by Havant and South Downs College, and took part in HE+,  which develops the skills and confidence of academically able Year 12 students at state schools to apply to leading universities.

As part of the HE+ programme, I visited Trinity College for a day (and was very impressed!) I applied to Trinity not only because of the visit, but also because of the standard of teaching and excellent facilities offered by the College.

Schools Liaison Officer at Trinity, Lizzie Bowes, said: ‘We’re delighted that students who attended our residentials are coming to Trinity. Students from any background, and especially those under-represented within the University, deserve and merit places in this institution, and we’re excited to continue providing opportunities for students to realise that.’

Trinity runs five to six residentials a year with places for up to 300 students in total. Schools Liaison Officer, Ellie Wood, said that of those who attended a Trinity residential in 2018, around 50% went on to apply to Cambridge, with around half of those receiving an offer.

Trinity Admissions Tutor, Dr Glen Rangwala, said:

We are delighted to build on our diverse student body and look forward to welcoming students to Trinity and Cambridge. Many of our UK students have participated in our outreach activities and we are always looking to engage with new audiences.